President Cyril Ramaphosa says Freedom Charter was the vision of the Constitution. He was addressing delegates during the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Boksburg Tuesday night.
He says about 50 000 people were inspired to be part of this historic document.
“From across the country, people responded in their numbers, leading to the Congress of the People, which was the biggest single gathering of representatives of the people in South Africa,” he said.
“To have the Freedom Charter drafted, the ANC sent 50,000 volunteers across the country to collect ‘freedom demands’ from ordinary people, a massive grassroots democratic exercise. The organisational ability of amassing 50,000 volunteers showed that the ANC had broadbased mass support and that it was able to mobilise grassroots structures.”
The President says the ANC in 50’s was rooted in its community network.
“We often talk about being able to mobilise thousands of volunteers for election work. Are there any lessons we can draw from the manner in which the ANC of the 1950s functioned?” He asked the delegates.
He added thqt thhe ANC success in mobilising thousands of people stemmed from a combination of its “historical legitimacy, the strong local branches, strategic partnerships with civic organisations, dynamic mass campaigns, ongoing political education – which often took place at night in what were called night schools – and attention to community needs.”
Ramaphosa says the drafting of Greedom Charter was seen as treason by the apartheid government.
“In dawn raids across the country on the 5th of December 1956, they arrested leaders of our movement and put them on trial for high treason.”
“These 156 people were from all races, both men and women, people whose only crime was to strive for a united, free and equal country”
